Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 30,423, Peter Frye, Mass.

SERVICE
Mass.
2 Frye, Peter
NUMBER _____
$ 30.423
CONTENTS

10465- Massachusetts
Peter Frye
of Dedee in the State of Mass who was a Private in the company commanded by Captain Bodwell of the Regt. (commanded by Col. Ferrick in the Mass line for 11 Mos 22 Days)
Inscribed on the Roll of Mass at the rate of 37 Dollars 99 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 9 th day of Apr 1832 and sent Benj Merrill Salem Mass
Arrears to the 4th of Mar 1833 $75.98 Semi-annual allowance ending Sep 1, 1833 18.99
$94.97
{ Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832.
Recorded by J. H. B. Clerk Book 2. Vol. 2. Page 24.
72 See letter to Rev Merrill Salem Mass Oct 21, 1833 G.C.
Hon. A. P. H. 1833, 1834, 1835,

Peter Toye
N o 3182
Please address reply to Merrill Salem

Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress, passed June 7, 1832.
STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS : COUNTY OF ESSEX, ss.
On this fourteenth day of August A. D. 1832, personally appeared in open court, before the HONORABLE DANIEL APPLETON WHITE, Judge of the Court of Probate for the County of Essex aforesaid, now sitting, Peter Frye , a resident of Salem , in the County of Essex and State of Massachusetts, aged 70 years, who being first duly sworn according to law doth, on his oath, make the following Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832:
That he entered the service of the United States, under the following named officers, and served as herein stated:
That in March or 1 st April 1778 at Andover Mass ts he enlisted as a private in Capt. Bodwell's Company in Col. Gerrish's Regiment of Massachusetts Militia and marched to Cambridge and served Four months in guarding the prisoners under Gen. Burgoyne:
That afterward in the same year at said Andover he again enlisted as a private and served Six weeks in Capt. Mulloon's Company of Massachusetts Militia, the other officers he cannot recollect. He served this time in Rhode Island.
That again in the summer or spring of 1779 he enlisted at said Andover as a private in Capt. Jer. Putnam's Company in Col. Nathan Tyler's Regiment of Massachusetts Militia and served Six months therein and was discharged in Rhode Island where the Regiment had been on duty.
He never had any written discharge or certificate of his birth.
He was born in 1762 at Andover in Essex County and was a Volunteer in said duty. He is known to Judge Putnam; he volunteered: Salem has been his residence forty years. He is known to all the citizens.

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity, except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State.
Peter Foye
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid
Edw. H. Miller
JUDGE OF PROBATE.
We, _____ a clergyman, residing in _____ aforesaid, and _____ Esquire, a magistrate, residing in _____ aforesaid, do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with _____ who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be _____ years of age; that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.
Subscribed and sworn to before

And the said Court hereby declares its opinion, after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, that the abovenamed applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier, and served as he states. And the Court further certifies that [blank] who has signed the preceding Certificate, is a Clergyman resident in [blank] and that the said [blank] who has also signed the same is a Magistrate resident in [blank] and is a credible person and that their statement is entitled to credit.
A. H. Pierce Judge of Probate
I, NATHANIEL LORD JUNIOR, Register of the Court of Probate for the County of Essex aforesaid, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Peter Foye for a pension, and Benjamin Merrill and Amos Spaulding are Justices of the Peace in and for said County and their respective signatures on the annexed affidavits are genuine
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this fourteenth day of August A. D. 1832.
Nathl. Lord Jr.
Signed and sealed above this tenth day of December, A.D. 1832.
Nathl. Lord Jr.

Personally appeared before me the undersigned a Justice of the Peace in and for the County of Essex in Mas- sachusetts, Peter Frye, who being duly sworn, deposeth & saith that by reason of old age and consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods men- tioned below and in the following grades: -
In 1778 for Four months I served as a Private: and again in 1778 for five weeks I served as a Private: and in 1779 for Six months I served as a Private: and for such service I claim a Pension
Rev. Merrill Just. Peace
Peter Frye
I, John Brazier a Clergyman residing in Salem aforesaid do hereby certify that I am well acquainted with Peter Frye who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration: that I believe him to be 70 years of age and that he is reputed & believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that I concur in that opinion.
J. Brazier
Subscribed and sworn to before me
Rev. Merrill Justice of the Peace
I certify that said Brazier is a credible person and his statement is worthy of credit
Dr. John Fiske Judge of Probate

All the 7 Interrogatories were answered, viz:
1 Born in Andover 1762 2 no record of age 3 Lived at Andover, when enlisted 4 Volunteered 5 Was stated name of Officer 6 never rec d . written discharge nor Commission 7 known to Judge Putnam

3182
Peter Frye
$37.99. Map
Private 11 Mo 12 days,
M. C. E.
The instructions contained in the 16. interrogatory not complied with
Benj. Merrill Salem Mass

BRIEF in the case of
Essex Co
Peter Frye of Salem in the State of Mass. (Act 7 June, 1832.)
 1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? a County Probate  2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity? —  3. How old is he? 70  4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed. 
   Period. Duration of Service. Rank. As a Names of General and Field Officers under whom he served. Gen.   Years, Months, Days.     March or April 1798 — 4 — private Capt Bodwell Col. Gornish   Same year — — 1 12 " Capt Meloon - served in R. Art.   Spring or Summer '79 — 6 — " Capt J. Putnam Col. Nathan Tyler  
 5. In what battles was he engaged? none mentioned  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Andover  7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditional evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? 4 living witnesses —  8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? (The ribbon does not pass under the seal) no Clergyman's certificate — 
I certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
A. B. Eastman Examining Clerk.

30423 Rev INVALID.
File No. 91, 412
Peter Faye Pr Rev Max
Act: June 7 th 82 nd
Index:—Vol. 2 Page 144
[Arrangement of 1870.]

I Benjamin Pike, of Hopsfield in Massachusetts, aged 78 on oath say
That I recollect seeing Peter Foye of Salem serving as a Soldier at Winter hill in 1778 guarding Burgoyne's troops: I also remember him while he served in Rhode Island the same year. He also served in Rhode Island the next year.
He at that time lived in Andover the town next adjoining that in which I then & ever since have lived.
Benj. Pike
Epsom, Augt. 2. 1832.
Then said Benj. Pike subscribed & made oaths the above Affidavit before
J. Merrill Dist. Clerk

We do on oath testify That we are well acquainted with Peter Frye, now of Salem: in 1778 he and we were near neighbors, as he was born & brought up in Andover where we now live: we recollect that in 1778 during the summer he performed two tours of duty in the Continental Service in the Militia at Rhode Island - once under Capt. Maloon of Methuen, adjoining Andover.
He is a man of good character, worthy of credit
Joseph Peters
Nicholas Voyes
State of Massachusetts Essex County ss: Aug. 9 1832
Then the above named Joseph Peters & Nicholas Voyes credible & disinterested witnesses subscribed & made oath to the above Affidavit before me
Amos Spaulding Just. Peace

I, Daniel Needham Esquire of Sympfield in Mass ts aged 71 on oath testify that I know that Peter Foye, now living in Salem, served Six months in Capt Putnam's Company (of which I was Sergeant) in Col. Tyler's Regiment at Rhode Island in summer of 1779. I also recollect he served at Winter Hill three and a half months in 1778 in Capt Bowdoin's Company in Col. Gernish's Regiment: after I left the 1 st Foye continuing there. I served at Winterhill in the same Company.
Daniel Needham
State of Massachusetts Essex County ss: Aug t 4. 1832 Then said Daniel Needham Esq. a credible and dis- interested witness, subscribed and made oath to the above before me Oliver Merrill Dist. Cl k

3182
Peter Freye
Pa Merrill Salem Mass

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Peter Frye which require further proof or explanation.
I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides ? Yes II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides ? Yes III. If the applicant did not make the declaration in the county where he resides, is there any reason assigned for his not doing so ? — IV. Has the declarant mentioned the period or periods of the war when he served ? Yes V. Has he mentioned with precision the length of his service, and the different grades in which he served, in language so definite as to enable the department to determine to what amount of pension he is entitled ? Yes VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations ? Yes VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832 ? Yes VIII. Has the Court given their opinion ? Yes IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate ? Yes X. Is the Clerk's seal affixed ? And if so, has it a device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal ? Yes

XI. Has the applicant obtained the evidence of a clergyman and another respectable citizen as to their belief respecting his age and the general belief in his neighborhood relative to his revolutionary service? No
XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it? No
XIII. If the applicant has no documentary evidence, and has not obtained the testimony of at least one living witness, has he stated in his declaration that such proof cannot be had? [Handwritten line]
XIV. †If the applicant has produced a witness or witnesses as to his service, has the magistrate who administered the oath certified that he, she, or they are persons of credibility? Yes
XV. Does it appear from any of the papers that the witness was in such a situation, or of such an age, as to have a personal knowledge of the applicant's service? Yes
XVI. ‡Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct? [Handwritten signature]
XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered? No
EXPLANATORY NOTES.
QUERE V. In a case where the applicant cannot, by reason of the loss of memory, state precisely how long he served, he should amend his declaration by making an affidavit in the following words:
“Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace, &c. A. B. who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that, by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades: For _____ year _____ months and _____ days, I served as a _____. For _____ months and _____ days, I served as a _____; and for such service I claim a pension.”

It is important in all cases to determine with precision the period for which the applicant served, and the particular rank he held, as the law directs the pension to be paid according to the grade of the pensioner and the length of his service. The use of the phrase about three or four months is too indefinite, and all such qualifying expressions are objectionable.
†QUERE XIV.  Proof of Service.
In a case where the name of the applicant is not found on the records of the Department, he must prove his service by two credible witnesses, who are required to set forth in their affidavits the time of the claimants entering the service, and the time and manner of his leaving the same, as well as the regiment, company, and line to which he belonged. The magistrate who may administer the oaths must certify to the credibility of the witnesses, and the affidavits must be properly authenticated, as above directed.
†QUERE XVI.  Mode of authenticating papers.
In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticated the papers is not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other paper authenticated, the certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the end of which must pass under the seal of office of the certifying officer, so as to prevent any paper from being improperly attached to the certificate.

Salem, Mass'ts, Sept. 6. 1833 James L. Edwards Esq. Sir,
The amount of Pension stated in the certificate of Peter Frye is different from the sum mentioned on the Books at the Bank in Boston.
Be pleased to inform which is correct.
James Brown has a Certificate dated Aug 2 21, 1833 (N o 21.125) for $53.33 a year; on applying at the Bank for his money he is told that the name of James Brown is not returned to the Bank — but the name of John Brown is returned for the same amount of Pension.
In the following cases, forwarded by me some months ago, no Certificates or returns have been received from your Office, viz:
Wm Jenkins
& James Fisher,
The applicants would be obliged greatly for attention to their cases as soon as their turn may come.
I have the honor to be
Very respectfully yours & Servt.
Br y Merrill

BOUNTY LAND WARRANT RECORD CARD*
NAME Frye, Richard GRADE Private LINE Massachusetts
WARRANT NUMBER 4145 ACREAGE 100 ISSUED Mar. 12, 1792 to John Blanchard
*The information concerning the issuance of warrants carded on this form is found in volumes 2 to 4 of "Land Warrants Issued Prior to 1800" which are registers of bounty land warrants issued to non-commissioned officers and privates under congressional resolutions of September 16, 1776, and subsequent dates. Other records relative to the applications for warrants appear to have been destroyed in the War Department fire of November 9, 1800. Information concerning warrants surrendered to the Federal Government is to be found in General Land Office records in The National Archives.